Domestic appliance



Sept. 15, 1959 Filed April 4, 1957 K. K. I\(ESLING v 2,903,711

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 F 2 INVENTOR.

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e 4 K K Qm I M A 8 .8 K M Y B noruns'rrc APPLIANCE Keith K. Kesling, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Generai Mm tors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application April 4, 1957, Serial No. 650,792

3 Claims. (Cl. 4-467} This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to a unitary portable assembly of various domestic appliances.

An object of this invention is to provide an appliance assembly that contains sufficient appliances so that the purchaser may satisfy ordinary kitchen needs by the purchase of a single portable unit. The appliance assembly preferably includes one or more electrically heated surface units, an electrically heated oven, a refrigerator, a sink bowl and water spout therefor, and a waste disposal unit, all located in a single portable unit.

A more specific object is to provide an appliance assembly including a cabinet structure which encloses the electric oven and refrigerator of the assembly and which includes a stainless steel counter-top which supports one or more electrical heating elements, the entire countertop being covered and uncovered by a door that is pivoted to the top of the cabinet.

Still another object is to provide a supporting arrangement for domestic appliances which includes a relatively strong base frame member to which is secured a rear panel member and side panel members that cooperate with a stainless steel counter-top to provide a rigid unitary appliance supporting member.

Another object is to provide a cabinet having a countertop and a sink bowl with a door that covers the sink bowl when in a closed position, there being a spout that supplies water to the sink bowl and which is pivoted to the counter-top, the door and spout being interconnected by linkage mechanism for pivoting the spout out of the way of the door when the door is moving toward a closed position.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the appliance assembly of this invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the appliance assembly of this invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 2, showing the water spout of the appliance assembly;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the spout in its lower position;

Figure 5 is a front view, with parts broken away, of the water spout and linkage mechanism for moving the spout of this invention;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 66 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing the door linkage mechanism in its open position;

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the main base frame of the appliance assembly;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the appliance assembly;

States atent ice Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along line 1010 of Figure 2; and

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 11-11 of Figure 9.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the appliance assembly of this invention is generally designated by reference numeral 10, and includes a base frame member 12 to which are attached side panels 14 and 16. The base frame 12 is illustrated in greater detail in Fig. 8 and as shown in this figure includes a generally rectangular outer frame which is reinforced by cross-members 18, 20 and 22. The frame 12 is formed of any metal material which is strong enough to support the appliance assembly. The frame 12 is supported from floor level by a plurality of supporting legs 24 that are bolted to the frame 12, the bolts passing through bolt-holes formed in cross-members 18 and 22.

The appliance assembly includes an electrically heated oven 26 having a front door 27 and a refrigerated cabinet 28 having a front door 29. The oven and refrigerated cabinet are both bolted directly to frame 12. The electrically heated oven 26 contains the usual electrical heating elements (not shown), and the refrigerator 28 is provided with a conventional evaporator 30 and with various shelves and drawers for storing articles placed in the refrigerated cabinet 23. The oven and refrigerator are located adjacent side panels 14 and 16 which are bolted to main frame 12 and which extend upwardly therefrom. A rear panel 29a, as more particularly shown in Figures 3 and 4, is bolted to main frame 12 and to the side panels 14 and 16. A stainless steel counter-top 30 is preferably bolted to the rear panel 2% and extends between the end panels 14 and 16. This counter-top supports top surface electric heating units 32 and 34 in any well-known manner. The controls for the heating units 32 and 34 and oven 26 are located behind a panel 33 which is pivotally connected at its lower end to the appliance assembly. When the panel 33 is pivoted away from the assembly, the controls are exposed as shown in Fig. 9. The stainless steel counter-top is also provided with an integral sink bowl 36 located midway the length of the counter-top 30. A water spout 38 overlies the sink bowl 36, and the water supply to the spoutis controlled by conventional valve mechanism operated by a handle 40. A conventional Waste disposal unit 37, as shown in Fig. 11, is secured to sink bowl 36 in a conventional manner, with the interior of the unit communicating with the sink bowl.

The appliance assembly is provided with an upper door 41 that completely covers the counter-top 30, the sink bowl 36 and electric heating units 32 and 34 when the door is in a lower horizontal position. The linkage and hinge mechanism associated with said panel 14 will now be described, it being understood that an identical arrangement is associated with side panel 16. The door 41 is pivoted to the top rear end of the cabinet assembly by means of a peg member 42 which is secured to the door 41 and which cooperates with a bracket 44 to provide a pivotal connection between the door 41 and the bracket 44. The bracket 44 is welded or otherwise secured to a transverse plate 46 which extends from front to back of the cabinet. The transverse plate 46 is bolted to an inturned flanged portion 14a of side panel 14. The door is guided in its opening movement by linkage mechanism illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The linkage mechanism includes links 47 and 43 which are pivoted together, the link 47 being pivoted to a bracket 49 that is secured to the flanged portion 14a of side panel 14. The link 48 is pivoted to a link 50 which is pivoted to flanged portion 14a and to a link 51. The link 51 is pivoted to door 41 at 52, the link passing upwardly through the top edge of panel 14 during opening movement of door 41. The link 51 is provided with a recessed portion 53 that cooperates with a spring biased roller 54 to hold the door in an open position when the door is moved to a substantially vertically disposed position. The roller 54 is supported in a yoke member 56 which is secured to a plunger 56a. The plunger 56a is spring biased rightwardly in Figs. 6 and 7 by a spring 55 that bears against the rear end of yoke member 56. A pin 56b passes through the roller and slides in a slot 57a formed in bracket 5'7. The bracket 57 supports the entire plunger assembly and is secured to the inner side of plate 46. A counter-balance spring 58 is interposed between flanged portion 14a of side panel 14 and the connecting point of links a7 and 48. The movement of the linkage mechanism is readily ascertainable from an inspection of Figs. 6 and 7, the open position of the linkage mechanism being shown in Pig. 7. When the door is in an open position, it forms a back-splash panel for heating units 32 and 34. The door 4-1 is provided with electric outlet plugs 41a and with a switch actuating knob 41]) that controls waste disposal unit 37.

The spout 38 of the appliance assembly is adapted to pivot upwardly and downwardly whenever the door 41 is moved upwardly and downwardly. The lower end of spout 38 is connected with a rotatable spout supporting member 59 that fits within a housing so. The supporting member 59 is pivotally supported within housing 60 by a pin 69a which is fixed to member 59 and which rotates in housing 68. The member 5) is formed with an internal chamber 5% which communicates with the interior of spout 33. The member 59 also pivots with respect to water inlet pipe 5% which communicates with chamber 59a. The pipe 59:: is supplied from a valve mechanism (not shown) which is under the control of handle it An overflow passage 6% is formed between member 59 and housing 653 and empties into a pipe 600 which is connected to drain. Suitable link mechanism is provided between the door 41 and the spout 38 to insure co -joint movement therebetween. To this end a link 62a is pivoted to the door ll at 61. The link 62a is pivoted to an intermediate link 62 which is pivoted to fixed bracket 63 at 64. The opposite end of link 62 is pivoted to a rod 55 which is pivoted to a crank member 66. The crank member is secured to the pin 69a and rotates the spout supporting member 59 and thus moves spout 38 upwardly or downwardly whenever the crank member 66 is rotated. it will thus be apparent that whenever the door 41 is moved to a lower position, the spout 38 will be moved downwardly into sink-bowl 36, the spout always moving ahead of the door. The door 41 is provided with a recessed portion 68 that conforms to the outline of a part of the spout, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The recessed portion is provided in order that there will be clearance between this portion of the spout and the door when the door is in its lower closed position.

The space between oven 26 and refrigerated compartment 28 is closed by door panels 78 and 72 which may be provided with drawers at their rear sides for the storage of various articles used in the kitchen. The door panels and drawers are preferably slidably supported within the appliance assembly in order that the door panels and drawers may be moved outwardly away from the appliance assembly. The door panel 72, as more particularly shown in Fig. ll, is arranged with rollers 73 and 74 which slide in a track 7s. The rollers 73 and 74 are secured to a bracket 73 which is secured to front door 72 adjacent one side edge thereof. A second bracket identical with bracket 78 is secured adjacent an opposite side edge of door panel 72. This bracket is not shown in the sectional view of Fig. 11 but also has rollers identical with rollers 73 and 74 for supporting the door panel in its movement and which slide in a second track identical with track 76. A third roller 80 is rotatably supported by a bracket 82 which is in turn supported by an upstanding strut 84 that is bolted to main frame 12. The roller 80 cooperates with a channel-shaped portion 86 that is integral with the bracket 78. A drawer is formed at the rear of door panel 72 by bending perforated sheet metal material 88 to shape to form the drawer 99. The sheet metal material extends between bracket 78 and its counterpart on the opposite side of door 72. A plurality of rod members 92 are secured between the brackets 78, which provide a towel rack above the drawer space 8%. The evaporator 30 that cools the refrigerated compartment 28 is connected with a conventional refrigerant translating mechanism generally designated by reference numeral 94. This mechanism may include a conventional compressor and a condenser and is located behind door panel 72 and drawer 90. The translating mechanism is fixed to the main frame 12 and is supported therefrom. When the refrigerant translating mechanism 94 is operated, a certain amount of heated air passes through the perforated sheet metal material 88 to dry towels or the like that may be resting on transverse rods 92. The door 72 and drawer may be completely removed from the appliance assembly to provide access to the refrigerant translating mechanism and to waste disposal unit 37. The drawer structure behind door panel 70 is not shown but may be of any well-known type.

From the foregoing it can be seen that a very compact unitary appliance assembly has been provided. All that is necessary for installation of the appliance assembly is a connection of the input terminals of the appliance assembly with the. electric power inlet to the kitchen, connection of the drain conduit to a sewer line, and connection of the water spout valve to a water line. The assembly is preferably all pre-wired so that only one connection to the main power line is needed to put the appliance assembly into service.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a cabinet having a counter-top, a sink bowl in said counter-top, a door pivoted to said cabinet at the top thereof and movable between a vertically disposed open position and a horizontally disposed closed position wherein said door covers said sink bowl and counter-top, a spout for supplying water to said sink bowl pivoted to said counter-top for movement in a vertical plane, and linkage mechanism connecting said door and said counter-top for moving said spout downwardly toward said sink bowl when said door is moved downwardly toward a closed position.

2. In combination, a cabinet having a counter-top, a sink bowl in said counter-top, a door pivoted to said cabinet at the top thereof and movable between a vertically disposed open position and a horizontally disposed closed position wherein said door covers said sink bowl and counter-top, a spout for supplying water to said sink bowl, a spout support member pivoted to said counter-top for supporting said spout for movement in a vertical plane, and linkage mechanism for moving saidspout downwardly toward said sink bowl when said door is moved downwardly toward a closed position, said linkage mechanism including a crank member on said spout support member, a first link on said door, a second link on said crank member and an intermediate link on said cabinet and connected to said first and second links.

3. In combination, a cabinet having a counter-top, a sink bowl in said counter-top, a door pivoted to said cabinet at the top thereof and movable between a vertically disposed open position and a horizontally disposed closed position wherein said door covers said sink bowl and counter-top, a spout for supplying water to. said sink bowl, a spout support member pivoted to said counter-top for supporting said spout for movement in a vertical plane, and linkage mechanism interposed between said door and said counter-top for moving said spout downwardly toward said sink bowl when said door 1,862,654 Booth June 14, is moved downwardly toward a closed position, said link- 5 2,000,981 Parsons May 14, age mechanism including a crank member fixed on said 29 Earle Aug. 31, spout support member, a first link pivotally mounted on 2,426,152 Meldahl Aug. 19, 1947 said door, a second link pivotally mounted on said crank 9,613 Earle I an. 30, member and an intermediate link pivotally mounted on ,936 Kennedy Nov. 25,

said cabinet and having its end portions pivotally con- 10 2,730,421

nected to said first and second links.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Burst et a1. Jan. 10, 

